


we grin, we bear it

by archiveofwebs



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Buried!Jonathan, Buried!Joshua, M/M, Minor Violence, Stranger!Barnabas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:47:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24909424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archiveofwebs/pseuds/archiveofwebs
Summary: “I see. Then what can I do for Mr. Bennett today?”“You, nothing. I don’t want anything from you ever again. I’ve learned my lesson, yessiree! I do need something from your Institute though. Gonna go grab it myself but I wanted to pop in, stab at you a little.”“What is it that you need?”“The Coffin your little Archivist has.”
Relationships: (past), Barnabas Bennett/Jonah Magnus
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	we grin, we bear it

**Author's Note:**

> This was written because I love Buried!Joshua and I thought Stranger!Barnabas was a cool idea...the timeline is...yea it's something alright.

“I heard you’re the man to see about obtaining something.”

“Maybe I am, maybe I am not. Depends on who’s asking, and what you seek.”

A silence fell over the two men. 

No noise filtered into the alley, no sound came from either man. 

Below them, however, the earth churned and quaked.

“I heard you’re the man to see about the Coffin.”

“A coffin? Well those are a dime a dozen! Easy to get! You don’t need me for that.”

“Not  _ a  _ coffin.  _ The  _ Coffin.”

A whistle. A chuckle. A slow clap of hands.

“My oh my! No one has ever asked for The Coffin before. No one wants it you see. Too...heavy a burden.”

The other man’s jaw clenched and the smiling man felt himself sink into the ground just a little bit. 

“It’s  _ mine. _ I don’t-” Cutting himself off, the younger man blinked slowly and took several deep breaths. “Sorry. Sorry. Look, can you get it for me or not?”

“Normally I would say no, I don’t quite like the place in which it currently lies but I’ve never encountered another Buried avatar before. Your lot are very, very rare.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Why not? It’ll be an interesting way to pass the time! Now if I could just get your name so I know who to send it to.”

“Gillespie. Joshua Gillespie.”

“Barnabas Bennett. A pleasure to meet you.”

“Wait...another?”

-

“You really need better security in this place. I could come in here and slit your throat and no one would know!”

Elias turned sharply and felt his throat tighten when he saw the man on his desk. 

He hadn’t aged a day, hadn’t changed his style. 

Barnabas Bennett sat there with a crooked smile on his face looking no different than the painting that was hung up in his modern apartment. 

“Barnabas....”

“Ah ah ah! That is Mr. Bennett to you! We aren’t friends anymore,  _ Jonah dear.” _

Elias bit his lip and turned away from laughing eyes and bright red lips. Whether it was in shame or the sickening gleam that reflected in those eyes, he wouldn’t say.

“I see. Then what can I do for  _ Mr. Bennett _ today?”

“You, nothing. I don’t want anything from you ever again. I’ve learned my lesson, yessiree! I do need something from your Institute though. Gonna go grab it myself but I wanted to pop in, stab at you a little.”

“What is it that you need?”

“The Coffin your little Archivist has.”

-

Humming, Barnabas skipped every other step down the halls, happily ignoring Elias who was trailing his heels. 

“Well if you are going to be a Debbie Downer, how’s Smirke doing? I know he’s helping you with all this. Very boring.”

“...he’s doing fine. He and Mordechai-”

Elias grunted as he was shoved into the wall, clawed hand closing tightly around his throat. He scrambled to try to pry away the hand but Barnabas was stronger.

“Oof you sure are pushing my buttons today, Jonah. Remember your place, or lose your face! Ha!”

Elias cried out as he was thrown across the hall, skidding to a stop, slacks tearing and palms ripping open against the rough flooring.

“Oh you are just a disappointment! You Watchers are just! So! Boring!”

-

“Oh! Are you having a picnic with The Coffin?”

The several bodies in the room jumped at the addition of a voice. In front of them lay The Coffin, padlock closed but key inserted. 

The man shuffled forward and knocked once on the yellow wood. When there was no response, he sighed heavily and pursed his lips. 

“Oh that's no fun!”

“She’s our friend!”

“Well she’s in my way! I need to be able to move this big ol’ piece of wood and can’t do that if it’s fat off fear! Nothing is ever easy with this place. I need her out, now.”

The room’s occupants looked around and then at one man.

“Oh, you were going to- ha! Oh that’s great! You are a very funny man. You would be swallowed whole and then I’d never be able to move this thing.”

The new man turned on his heel and pushed past Elias, taking out a phone with way too many charms.

“What are you doing?”

“What did I say about not being friends,  _ beloved? _ I need to make a phone call.”

“To who?” Someone that wasn’t Elias asked.

Barnabas grinned, pointedly looking at Elias.

“I think the good Doctor Fanshawe will be of excellent use here.”

-

Some fifteen minutes later another man arrived, looking beyond tired. There was dirt under his nails, on his face, on his shoes. The man looked like he bathed in dirt every day. He didn’t look at them, didn’t look at Elias. Since the moment he walked into the room, his eyes were either on the Coffin or on the strange man that Elias had brought in.

“That’s...that’s…”

“Yep, yep! Thought you might want to see it!” The man sighed, running a hand through his hair, ignoring the dirt that fell out.

“You could have just sent a picture of it, maybe without all the stickers so I could have seen it.” The man, Dr. Fanshawe if they heard correctly, grunted when a hand came smacking down his shoulder. When he apparently had had enough, he caught the hand as it came back down, crying out when he was pulled closer to the first man, shock spreading over his face as he was spun and dipped, free hand gripping tightly at the man’s dull colored suit. 

“Barnabas!”

“Dearest Doctor Fanshawe, why don’t you take a closer look? You may find something interesting!” The man in question fondly rolled his eyes, moving past Barnabas toward the Coffin.

“Excuse me...excuse me...oh...oh you shouldn’t go near...well...excuse me…” Finally, after having to step over the room’s occupants, he reached the Coffin. 

“It looks just like a coffin would, Barnabas, I don’t kn-oh. Oh.”

“Yep yep! So can you get her out? Sooner rather than later. For many reasons, one is rather obvious and the other is that I’m on a deadline! You know I don’t like being late!”

“Yes, I know. Hm...I don’t think...yes, this shouldn’t be that hard. It appears she’s been in there a while, so the Centre is less likely to fight back when I find her.”

The room's occupants, who hadn’t found their voice and were quite honestly not sure if they were allowed to, watched as the man unlocked the padlock the rest of the way.

“Well, farewell. Barnabas, you know what to do if the time occurs?”

“Of course! Please don’t make me do it though. You know I hate visiting that manor!”

“Hm.”

Then the man slipped into the Coffin.

Silence. 

A laugh.

-

_ Dearest Joshua,  _

_ Tada! As promised, one Coffin! Human free! As for payment, I have a friend who would love to meet you! He’s the only Buried avatar I’ve met besides you! He has quite a lot of questions, if you have the time! _

_ Bye bye! _

_ -B. B. :) _

**Author's Note:**

> I love Joshua Gillespie. 
> 
> I was gonna write more but...well I'm good with this for now.
> 
> I'm on twitter @sassymordechais!


End file.
